"New House" Park

Swings

Baby

 Tilt-A-Whirl Tulip 

and a Bike Ride later

What a beautiful day!

Madison

The G-E-T boys basketball team made it to state!  Gianna and I went to Madison with our friends, Anna and Reilly, to cheer on the Red Hawks.

Going to the state tournament was a great opportunity to visit Lea, Casey, Cooper, and Brecken. 

Cooper is so smart and caring.  Brecken usually needs some time to warm-up, but he ran up and gave me a hug when I saw him.  My heart melted a bit.  Gia and the boys got to play outside on Friday night and go for a walk on Saturday before the cheerleader and I headed back to the Kohl Center.  We had a great visit!

A Handful

Two and a half is a blast and a disaster at the same time.  Gia reminds me of the hormonal eighth graders I taught and got to know so well.  One moment, she loves life (and us), and the next, she is crying, insisting, "NO," and on the floor.  Luckily, we've found that cuddling her up with blanky during those moments enables Miss Gia to pull it back together.

Most recently, Gianna finds it humorous to hide her face when you want to take her picture.

Today, Ryan took Gianna to the park while I was at the G-E-T Showcase (work).  When I got home, Gia told me that she went so high on the swings and had fun on the slides.

Me:  What else did you do?  

Gia:  Uh, look at the boys.  

Ryan:  (huge eyes, raised eyebrows, shaking head in dismay)

There's more.  We moved on to a family trip to Festival Foods.  Lisa Loeb was singing innocent summer camp songs in the background.  

Gia:  Mommy, do you have a baby in your belly?  

Ryan and Me:  WHAT?! 

Me:  No, I don't have a baby in my belly.

Gia:  Why?

Explain that to a two year old.  I asked Gianna if she knew someone with a baby in her belly, and she answered, "Casey," which is a mom from day care.  I found some relief, but the why, why, why continued.  I think I just started singing again; I'm not even sure.

Happy Birthday Cooper

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Cooper's fifth birthday with a Packer party at the Waunakee Community Center. 

 The kids colored Packer pictures while they waited for everyone to arrive.  

In the gym, they played a creative game (Bucket Dump I believe).  Picture a bucket full of bouncy balls getting dumped on a gym floor.  The kids went crazy picking up the balls and returning them to the bucket!

They had time for scooters and the giant parachute too before it was time for cake and presents.  I think Cooper (and his guests) had a fantastic time!

Misunderstood

1. "Snuffy" means stuffy.
2. "Alligator" means elevator.
3. "I want you to open the door magically" means use the handicapped button.
4. Layered pajamas is just as good if not better than an actual outfit according to Gia.

Gia Hearts Baths

For Valentine's Day, Gianna got Fizzy Tub Colors and Bathtub Finger Paint Soaps from Grandma Derraine and Cowboy Grandpa. She was in awe when the water turned from yellow to red to orange!

Smarty Pants

I just have to share.

1. Gia came into the bathroom while I was showering and sternly said, "This is ridicalious.  You be quiet.  My baby is sleeping."  I always find entertainment in her exploration of new words.  First, it starts with trying the word or phrase with intonation.  Once that seems to be right, she puts it into context.  
2. I was wearing a coat that said SUMMIT on the sleeve.  She came up to me and said, "Mommy, what this word?"  After I told her, she pointed to one of the M's and said, "The M says mmm."  She is getting really good at naming letters and their sounds, but I was thrilled that she recognized that SUMMIT was a word!
3. Cuteness factor:  Gianna thought there were two moons this morning.  She saw the moon in the truck, and when she got out at day care, she was a little surprised to see the moon again and announced there was another moon.  At least she doesn't think that the moon and the sun are the same.